Some voters wonder why they need to visit the polls

Published: Friday, October 18, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, October 17, 2013 at 3:52 p.m.

What if you held an election and no one voted? While turnout can sometimes be pitifully low, so far that hasn't happened in Davidson County. But the ballot that some voters will see for municipal elections does raise some legitimate questions. Early voting started Thursday with the General Election set for Nov. 5.

A caller to The Dispatch this week noted that he lives in a Lexington ward without a contested race. Mayor Newell Clark is running unopposed. So that voter has no reason to visit the polls, since he will not see a contestedrace on his ballot. This year, two Lexington wards, Lexington and Wallburg mayor and Wallburg Town Council all feature uncontested races.

The issue comes down to money. Elections officials still have to open all precincts in Lexington, even though only two wards have contested races. But think how much money could be saved if only the precincts with contested races were manned. So in Lexington, only precincts that cover Wards 1 and 3 would be staffed on Election Day.

It would take a change in the election law to allow only precincts with contested races to open. But legislators, always looking for ways to save money, should consider revisiting this portion of the law.

One possible hiccup involves write-in candidates. While it's extremely rare for a write-in candidate to win, it can happen. Potential candidates should be able to decide during the filing period to run, but extenuating circumstances could cause a latecomer to opt in. So a change in the law might have to offer some way for a person to get on the ballot after the filing period, perhaps by petition with a reasonably high threshold.

The problem mainly arises with municipal elections in odd-numbered years. While races in even-numbered years, when more appear on the ballot, can be uncontested, very rarely would a voter see an entire slate of races with only one candidate in each. So no change would be necessary for those races.

One other solution exists: Giving voters a choice in every race. This would mean at least two candidates filing in a race for a single seat. When multiple seats are up for election, such as in Thomasville, where all seven city council seats appear on the ballot each election, more candidates would be needed. But even in the county's smallest municipality, it seems like someone would think he or she could do a better job than the incumbent. Some challengers will even say they have nothing against an elected official, but they simply wanted voters to have a choice.

Voters in Lexington, Thomasville, Denton and Midway who have an opportunity to vote in contested races should do so. But those who only have uncontested races to consider will be forgiven if they don't make it to the polls.

<p>What if you held an election and no one voted? While turnout can sometimes be pitifully low, so far that hasn't happened in Davidson County. But the ballot that some voters will see for municipal elections does raise some legitimate questions. Early voting started Thursday with the General Election set for Nov. 5.</p><p>A caller to The Dispatch this week noted that he lives in a Lexington ward without a contested race. Mayor Newell Clark is running unopposed. So that voter has no reason to visit the polls, since he will not see a contestedrace on his ballot. This year, two Lexington wards, Lexington and Wallburg mayor and Wallburg Town Council all feature uncontested races.</p><p>The issue comes down to money. Elections officials still have to open all precincts in Lexington, even though only two wards have contested races. But think how much money could be saved if only the precincts with contested races were manned. So in Lexington, only precincts that cover Wards 1 and 3 would be staffed on Election Day.</p><p>It would take a change in the election law to allow only precincts with contested races to open. But legislators, always looking for ways to save money, should consider revisiting this portion of the law.</p><p>One possible hiccup involves write-in candidates. While it's extremely rare for a write-in candidate to win, it can happen. Potential candidates should be able to decide during the filing period to run, but extenuating circumstances could cause a latecomer to opt in. So a change in the law might have to offer some way for a person to get on the ballot after the filing period, perhaps by petition with a reasonably high threshold.</p><p>The problem mainly arises with municipal elections in odd-numbered years. While races in even-numbered years, when more appear on the ballot, can be uncontested, very rarely would a voter see an entire slate of races with only one candidate in each. So no change would be necessary for those races.</p><p>One other solution exists: Giving voters a choice in every race. This would mean at least two candidates filing in a race for a single seat. When multiple seats are up for election, such as in Thomasville, where all seven city council seats appear on the ballot each election, more candidates would be needed. But even in the county's smallest municipality, it seems like someone would think he or she could do a better job than the incumbent. Some challengers will even say they have nothing against an elected official, but they simply wanted voters to have a choice.</p><p>Voters in Lexington, Thomasville, Denton and Midway who have an opportunity to vote in contested races should do so. But those who only have uncontested races to consider will be forgiven if they don't make it to the polls.</p>